Westminster Presbyterian Church Rev. Patrick Heery is conducting a live stream of healing and prayer field service at The Commons on St. Anthony for residents and staff. The nursing home has been besieged with more than 180 COVID-19 cases and more than 20 deaths.
Kevin Rivoli, The Citizen
A viral post on social media and an article published on an obscure website falsely suggest there may be a link between the timing of COVID-19 vaccinations and deaths in an Auburn nursing home.
The reports refer to coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in The Commons on St. Anthony in Auburn. More than 180 employees and residents of the facility have tested positive for the virus. At least 28 residents have died after a positive test for COVID-19.
The authors of the posts, which The Citizen does not disclose to prevent the spread of false and misleading information, point to the possibility that the deaths may be linked to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in the nursing home.
However, important facts have been omitted from the claims. The Commons, run by Loretto, began vaccinating workers and residents on Dec. 22. Before the first vaccination clinic, the nursing home already had a COVID-19 outbreak. Julie Sheedy, a Loretto spokesman, told The Citizen that the outbreak started in December after Thanksgiving.
“Given the incubation period we know for this virus, our facility was hit before vaccines were available to be administered,” Sheedy wrote in an email Monday. “We certainly wish the vaccines had been available sooner to help prevent the devastation caused by this virus.”